Let’s Talk Now A2

What do students need to get talking? To feel at ease, to use interesting material and to have the tools to talk. And here’s the book which offers all that: Let’s Talk Now A2.

Let’s have a look at what’s on offer. The topics all have relevance to the students: meeting people and describing personalities, travel, transport, health and fitness, hobbies, home, gadgets, shopping and memories. Each six-page unit tackles one topic and gives plenty of material to prompt students into discussion. You’ll see engaging photographs throughout each unit which will provoke comment and discussion and you’ll also find exercises entitled What about you?, Talk about it, Talking points, Tell me more and Your experiences. All of these invite students to talk about themselves and their own personal experience – one of the best ways to get people talking!

Useful What to say boxes help students use the right language for the conversations. There are also Words to use boxes with the necessary vocabulary for exercises, but which stand alone so they are a good visual identifier for the topic vocabulary for that unit. These lists also include collocations: the best way to produce natural sounding English. In each unit is information marked with an asterisk * to point out a common error, for example the difference between He’s gone to Brussels. (He’s still there.) and He’s been to Brussels. (And now he’s back.)

And each unit focuses on a grammar point, for example in Unit 3 How did you get here? students discuss likes and dislikes using the gerund and in Unit 4 Where did you go? the grammar focus is present perfect and past simple for talking about experiences and talking about details of experiences.

The last two pages in each unit have Practice exercises followed by a Phrasebook with translated phrases and topic vocabulary which all help to consolidate and extend the language learnt in the unit. And British English (BE) and American English (AE) are also identified – valuable for students who want to travel outside of the UK.

After Units 2, 4, 6 and 8 there is an Extra with more detailed information about the topics covered in the previous two units and an entertaining Game. After the units on transport (= Unit 3) and travel (= Unit 4) Culture and customs is the Extra, followed by the Top Five Game which refreshes the vocabulary from those units in a fun and interactive way.

So keep an eye out for Let’s Talk Now A2 which will be published in September and look out for the sample units coming soon. - Get your students talking with the help and support of Let’s Talk Now A2!

Here’s a short activity at A2 level to get your students talking about transport.

Transport

On page 21 in Unit 3 How did you get here? there is a transport survey …

• Encourage your students to talk about transport.
• Ask students: What types of transport do you know? Write the responses on the board. Possible answers: bicycle, bus, car, coach, ferry, plane, taxi, train, tram, underground. Be prepared for other means of transport like barge, camel, canoe, helicopter, horse and carriage, tuk tuk, …
• In pairs, students ask each other questions. Student A: Have you ever travelled by …? Student B: Yes, I have. No I haven’t. Student A asks follow-up questions. When / Where did you travel by ferry?
• Ask for class feedback. (Maria) travelled by ferry (from Calais to Dover). (Ines) travelled by tuk tuk (in Bangkok).